Airbag system173
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Safety
Driving Tips
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Technical Data
For the driver and front passenger it is important to maintain a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel page 172, fig. 155 . Not
maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not
be able to properly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints
must always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
It is essential to always switch off page 178, “Deactivating an airbag” the
front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the ch ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy ed. In certain countries national legal
provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deactivated.
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the
appropriate national regu lations regarding the use of child safety seats.
There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned
between the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag.
The steering wheel and the surface of the airbag module in the dash panel
on the passenger side must not be stuck onto, covered or modified in any other
way. These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth or a cloth moistened
with water. No objects such as cup holders, mobile phone mounts, etc. may be
attached to the covers of the airbag modules or be located within the imme-
diate area.
No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
Any work on the airbag system includ ing installing and removing system
components because of other repair wo rk (e.g. removing the steering wheel)
must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
Never carry out changes on the front bumper or on the body.
Never place any objects on the surface of the front passenger airbag module
in the dash panel.
Driver's knee airbag*Description of the driver's knee airbags
The knee airbag reduces the risk of injury to the legs.The driver's knee airbag is located in th e lower part of the dash panel below the
steering column fig. 156 . The fitting position is show n in a picture on the side
surface of the dash panel on the driver's side.
The driver's knee airbag is complementary to the three-point seat belt and offers
adequate protection to the knees of the driver. Please note that an airbag can only
offer you optimal protection in combination with a seat belt which is fastened .
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the seat belt is to also
hold the driver in a correct seated position in the event of a frontal collision so as to
enable the knee airbag to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat belts, not only because this is required by
law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection page 165, “Why seat
belts?”.Function of the driver's knee airbagsThe airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver's knee airbag is deployed
together with the belt tensioner in the even t of a frontal collision of major severity.
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with gas. The airbags inflate in fractions of a
second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protection in the
event of an accident.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 156 Driver's knee airbag below the
steering column
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Airbag system175
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Technical Data
Function of the side airbags
Risk of injury to the upper part of the body is reduced by fully inflated
side airbags.When the side airbags are deployed, the head airbag and the belt tensioner are also
automatically deployed on the relevant side fig. 158 .
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with gas. The airbags inflate in fractions of a
second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protection in the
event of an accident.
A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly
normal and is not an indicati on of a fire in the vehicle.
The load of the occupants is cushioned when plunging into the fully inflated airbag and
the ri sk of i njur y to the entire uppe r body (chest, stomach and pelvis) is reduced on the
side facing the door.Important safety information on the side airbag
Correct use of the airbag system cons iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
It is essential to always switch off page 178, “Deactivating an airbag” the
front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the ch ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deploy
ed. In certain countries national legal
provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deactivated.
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the
appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
Your head should never be positioned in the deployment area of the side
airbag. You might suffer severe injuries in the event of an accident. This applies
in particular to children who are transported without using a suitable child
safety seat page 182, “Child safety and side airbag*”.
If children adopt an incorrect seated position when travelling, they may be
exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This can result
in serious injuries page 180, “What you should know about transporting
children!”.
There must not be any further persons, animals as well as objects posi-
tioned between the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. No
accessories, such as a can holder, should be attached to the doors.
The airbag control unit operates together with the pressure sensors, which
are attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried
out at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional installa-
tion of loudspeakers). Resulting damage s can have a negative affect on the
operation of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels
must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
In the event of a side collision, the side airbags will not function properly, if
the sensors cannot measure the increasi ng air pressure inside the doors,
because the air can escape through lar ge, non-sealed openings in the door
panel.
Never drive with removed inner door panels.
Never drive, if parts of the inner do or panel have been removed and the
remaining openings have not been properly sealed.
Never drive, if the loudspeakers in the doors have been removed, only if
the loudspeaker openings have been properly sealed.
Always make sure that the openings are covered or filled, if additional
loudspeakers or other equipment part s are installed in the inner door
panels.
Fig. 158 Inflated side airbag
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system177
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Technical Data
Function of the head airbags
The risk of injury to the head and neck area is reduced in the event of a
side collision by fully inflated head airbags.In the case of a side collision the head airbag is deployed together with the relevant
side airbag and the belt tensioner on the si de of the car on which the accident occurs
fig. 160 .
If the system is deployed, the airbags are filled with propellant gas and extend over the
entire area of the side wind ow including the door pillar page 177, fig. 160 .
The protection offered by the head airbags is thus available simultaneously both to the
front occupants of the car seated on the side on which the accident occurs, as well as
to the rear occupants. Any impact of the head against parts of the interior or objects
outside of the car, is cushioned by the in flated head airbag. The reduction in any
impact to the head and the resultant minimi zing of any movements of the head addi-
tionally reduce the risk of injuries to the neck area. The head airbag also offers addi-
tional protection in the case of an offset impact by covering the front door pillar.
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously
deployed.
The airbags inflate in fractions of a second an d at a high speed in order to be able to
offer that additional protection in the even t of an accident. A grey white, non harmful
gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication
of a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety information on the head airbag
Correct use of the airbag system cons iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
It is essential to always switch off page 178, “Deactivating an airbag” the
front passenger airbag when attachin g a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the chil d is facing the direction of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy ed. In certain countries national legal
provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deactivated.
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the
appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head airbags
which might prevent the airbags from inflating properly.
Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of clothing.
In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up items of
clothing.
The airbag control unit operates together with the sensors, which are
attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out
at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional installation of
loudspeakers). Resulting da mages can have a negative affect on the operation
of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels must only be
carried out by a specialist garage.
There must not be any other persons (e .g. children) or animals between the
car occupant and the deployment area of the head airbag. In addition, none of
the occupants should lean their head out of the window when driving, or
extend their arms and hands out of the window.
The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the deploy-
ment area of the head airbags if any obje cts, such as ball-point pens etc. are
attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the head
airbag is deployed.
Installing impermissible accessories in the area of the head airbags may
considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in the event of it
Fig. 160 Inflated head airbag
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Airbag system179
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Deactivating an airbag– Switch off the ignition.
– Turn the slot of the airbag switch using the key in the position ( OFF) fig. 161
- left.
– Check whether the airbag indicator light in the display
in
the middle of the dash panel lights up when the ignition is switched on fig. 161
- right.
Switching on an airbag– Switch off the ignition.
– Turn the slot of the airbag switch using the key in the position ( ON) fig. 161 -
left.
– Check whether the airbag indicator light
in the display
in
the middle of the dash panel does not ligh t up when the ignition is switched on
fig. 161 - right.
The airbags should only be switched off under exceptional circumstances.
Indicator light
in display
(airbag switched off)
The airbag indicator ligh t is located in the middle of the dash panel page 178,
fig. 161 - right.
If the front passenger airbag is switched off, the warning light comes on about 4
seconds after the ignition is switched on.
There is a system fault present in the airbag switch off if the indicator light
flashes. Please have the car inspected immediately by a specialist garage.
WARNING
The driver is responsible for whether the airbag is switched on or switched
off.
Only switch off the airbag when the ignition is switched off! Otherwise a
fault can occur in the system for the airbag deactivation.
If the indicator light
in display
(airbag switched off)
flashes.
Front passenger airbag is not deployed in the event of an accident!
It is also important to have the system inspected without delay by a
specialist garage.
A2A1
WARNING (continued)
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Transporting children safely181
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General Maintenance
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Technical Data
passenger seat if the airbag system deploy
s in the event of an accident. This can
result in severe or even fatal injuries.
It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts are
to offer their maximum protection page 167, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”. Pay particular attention to the information provided by the manu-
facturer of the child safety seat regarding correct routing of the belt. Seat belts
which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in minor
accidents.
Safety belts must be checked to ensure that they are running properly. One
should also ensure that the belt is not damaged by sharp-edged fittings.
It is essential to always switch off th e front passenger airbag when attaching
a child safety seat to the front passenger seat where the child is seated with its
back facing in direction of travel page 178. If this is not done, there is a risk of
the child suffering severe or even fatal in juries if the front passenger airbag is
deployed. In certain countries national legal provisions also require that the
side and head airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations
regarding the use of child safety seats.
Use of child safety seats on the front passenger seat
Child safety seats should always be attached to the rear seats.We recommend, for safety reasons, that you always mount a child restraint systems on
the rear seats whenever possible. If you still decide, however, to use a child safety seat on the front passenger seat then you must pay attention to the following warnings in
connection with the use of the airbag system on the front passenger seat.
WARNING
Warning - particular hazard! Never use a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat in which the child is seated with its back facing the direction of
travel. This child safety seat is positioned in the deployment area of the front
passenger airbag. The airbag may cause th e child severe, or even fatal injuries,
in the event of it being deployed.
This is also clearly stat ed on the sticker which is located on the centre
column of the body on the front passenger side fig. 162 . The sticker is visible
upon opening the front passenger door. For some countries, the sticker is also
affixed to the sun visor of the front passenger.
It is essential to always switch off the front passenger airbag when a child
safety seat is nevertheless attached to the front passenger seat where the child
is seated with its back facing in direction of travel page 178, “Deactivating an
airbag”. If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even
fatal injuries if the front passenger ai rbag is deployed. In certain countries
national legal provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags
be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please
comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child
safety seats.
If the front passenger airbag has been switched off by a specialist garage
using the vehicle system tester, the front side airbag and head passenger
airbag* remains switched on. In certain countries national legal provisions
require that besides the front passenger ai rbag also the side or head passenger
airbags are deactivated. Please comply wi th any differing national legal regula-
tions regarding the use of child safety seats.
If a child safety seat in which the child faces in the direction of travel is used
on the front passenger seat, the front pa ssenger seat must be moved back and
to the top fully in the highest position.
If this is not done, a child seated on the front passenger seat may suffer
severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag or airbags are
deployed. Have the airbag (or ai rbags) deactivated if necessary page 178,
“Deactivating an airbag”.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 162 Sticker on the centre column of
the body on the front passenger side.
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Transporting children safely183
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Driving Tips
General Maintenance
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Technical Data
Children of more than 150 cm in height may use the seat belts fitted to the vehicle
without a seat bolster.
Use of child safety seatsAn overview of the usefulness
of child seats on each of the seats according to the ECE-
R44 standard:
Universal category - seat is suitable for all approved types of child safety seats.
The seat can be fitted with fixing eyes for the “ISOFIX*”system.
The divided rear seat - seat can be fitt ed with fixing eyes for the system “To p
Te t h e r *” page 186, “Attaching child seat using the “Top Tether” system”.
Child seats of group 0/0+The optimal solution for babies of up to about 9 months old weighing up to 10 kg or
babies up to about 18 months old weighing up to 13 kg is a child safety seat which can
be adjusted into the reclining position fig. 164 .
In view of the fact that such child seats are installed that the child is seated with its back
facing the direction of travel, they mu st not be used on the front passenger
seat page 181, “Use of child safety se ats on the front passenger seat”.
WARNING
It is essential to always switch off th e front passenger airbag (airbags) when
attaching in exceptional circumstances a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel):
in a specialist garage
or by using the switch for the front passenger airbag* page 178,
“Switch for the front passenger airbag*”.
Please comply with any differing nati onal legal regulations regarding the
use of child safety seats.
If this is not done, a child seated on the front passenger seat may suffer
severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag or airbags are
deployed.
You should have the front passenger airbag (or airbags) reactivated just as
soon as you no longer use a child safe ty seat on the front passenger seat.
Group
Weight
0
0 - 10 kg
page 183
0+
up to 13 kg
page 183
1
9 - 18 kg
page 184
2
15 - 25 kg
page 184
3
22 - 36 kg
page 185
Child seat
of the group
Front passenger seat
Rear seat outside
Rear seat middle
0
0+
1
2 and 3
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AU
AU
AU
AUA+AT
Fig. 164 Child seats of group 0/0+
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Transporting children safely185
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Technical Data
Child safety seats in Group 3For children of about 7 years of age weighing between 22 and 36 kg and of a height of
less than 150 cm, the optimal solution is a ch ild safety seat (seat bolster) in combina-
tion with the three-point seat belt fig. 167 .
Children of more than 150 cm in height may use the seat belts fitted to the vehicle
without a seat bolster.
WARNING
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with
the appropriate national regu lations regarding the use of child safety seats. If
required, the airbag has to be deactivated:
in a specialist garage
or by using the switch for the front passenger airbag* page 178,
“Switch for the front passenger airbag*”.
The shoulder part of the seat belt mu st run approximately across the middle
of the shoulder and fit snugly against the chest. It must on no account run
across the neck. The lap part of the seat belt must run across the pelvis and fits
snugly; it must not run over the belly. Tighten the belt webbing over your hip if
necessary.
Please comply with any differing nati onal legal regulations regarding the
use of child safety seats.
Attaching a child seat using the “ISOFIX” systemFig. 168 Locking eyes (ISOFIX system) / the IS OFIX child seat is pushed into the mounting
funnelsThere are two fixing eyes* between the backrest and the seat of the front passenger as
well as on the rear exterior seats for fixing the “ISOFIX” system child seat in place. On
seats where the fixing eyes are not visible, the places which have eyes are marked with
signs with the “ISOFIX” logo fig. 168 - left.Install child seat– Insert the mounting funnels fig. 168 onto the locking eyes between the
seat backrest and the seat cushion.
– Push the notched arms of the child seat into the locking eyes until they are heard to lock in place fig. 168 - right.
– Pull on both sides of the child seat.
One can mount a child safety seat using the “ISOFIX” system quickly, easily and reliably.
Please pay close attention to instructions from the manufa cturer of the child safety
seat when installing and removing the seat.
Child seats fitted with the “ISOFIX” system can only be mounted and fixed in a vehicle
fitted with an “ISOFIX” system when these child seats have been released for this type
of vehicle according to the ECE-R 44 standard.
You can obtain child seats with the “ISOFIX” attachment system from specialist garages
who will also installed it as well.
Complete installation instructions are enclosed with the child safety seat.
Fig. 167 Child seat in Group 3 installed
on the rear seat facing the direction of
travel
AA
AB
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Intelligent Technology187
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Driving TipsIntelligent TechnologyElectronic stability programme (ESP)*GeneralGeneral
The ESP aids you in maintaining control of your vehicle in situations in which the
vehicle is driving at its dynamic limits, such as entering a curve fast. The risk of skidding
is reduced and your vehicle thus offers greater driving stability depending on the
conditions of the road surface. The system operates at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL),
Traction control system (TCS),
active driver-steering recommendation (DSR),
Antilock brake system (ABS),
Brake Assist,
Uphill Start Assist.
The ESP system cannot be switched off, only the TCS system can be switched off by
pressing the button fig. 170 , the warning light
lights up. Operating principle
The ESP switches on automatically when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also proc-
esses additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive sensors: the
rotational velocity of the vehicle about its ve
rtical axis, the lateral acceleration of the
vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering
angle and the speed of the vehicle and is co nstantly compared with the actual behav-
iour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the vehi cle beginning to skid, the ESP will
automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces wh ich take effect when the wheel is braked.
Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of a
vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency for the rear of the vehicle to break away)
while occurs this is on the inner rear wh eel of a vehicle which tends to understeer
(tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied by
noises.
During an intervention of the system, the warning light
flashes in the instrument
cluster page 33.
The ESP operates in combination with the ABS page 191. If there is a fault in the ABS
system, the ESP also does not operate.
The ESP warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the
ESP
page 33.WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the vehicle.
Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your style of
driving to the condition of the road surfac e and the traffic situation. This partic-
ularly applies when driving on slippery and wet roads. The increased safety
Fig. 170 ESP switch
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